Build a bench: Part 1

Let's put our students to work! 

Our class auction project is to design two benches. The first part was to prepare the lumber for painting.

This project focuses on teamwork, cooperation, and communication skills. 

Students moving the lumber outside.

More lumber moving!

It takes teamwork to move a table which will act like saw horses.

Measuring the lumber to cut the boards in half. Students learned that each board was
2 in by 4 in by 8 ft. So to cut it in half we would have to cut on the 4 ft mark.

Pulling out the staples and labels on the boards.

Cutting the boards was a new experience for most of our class! It was great to see them try a new skill.

New experiences are important to encourage further explorations. 

Dr. Seuss Day

March 2nd is Dr. Seuss Day! Across the country, thousands of people participate by bringing together books and students. 

What better way to celebrate than to read with our 1st grade friends?

Dr. Seuss wrote at least 44 books in his lifetime.

Did you know that Dr. Seuss would have been 114 years old this year?

Dr. Seuss books are full of different messages. 

For example, he encourages children to be open-minded in the story Green Eggs and Ham by telling the reader to try something new, you might like it. 

At the end of the day, students voted in our class "cutest stuffy" contest. The winner was the husky!

Defend the Fort: Part 2

Defend the Fort Part 2: Defense Supplies

Each student was given a budget of $3,000 and costs of items to decide on a plan for defending our fort. Then the class voted on which plan would defend our fort the best. This plan would then be used to create our defense plan. 

Costs of the defense supplies

Our class created an attack plan on the Magnetists class using their map to determine where we would enter. These plans were evaluated to see which class was victorious.

Electricianeers classroom map

Magnetists classroom map

Outcome of the mock classroom invasion:

(the outcome was written like a battle story and described the battle)

Attack on the Electricianeers allowed 2 victory points for the Magnetists.

Attack on the Magnetists allowed 6 victory points for the Electricianeers.

THE ELECTRICIANEERS WON!!

Writing Stories

This week in peer mentoring, the Electricianeers helped their friends begin writing a story. 

This group was writing a story called "The Getaway". It is about people that wanted to get away from their house because there were a lot of bad people there. 

This group was writing a story about themselves and what they were about.

The group of girls were writing about a snake that liked bananas. 

The front group was writing about a Halloween story.

The back group was writing a story about their buddy.

We will continue story writing next week!

Defend the Fort: Part 1

Defend the Fort: Civil War Cartography

Our class measured the sizes and shapes of all the major objects in our room to create a map of our classroom. This is our battle defense map. Students will use the map to design a defense strategy for our mock classroom invasion.

Measuring the supply shelf

Measuring the Smart Board

Converting inches to feet and inches

Deciding how to create the map

The final map with measurements!


Stay tuned!

Westward Expansion: Seattle and the Gold Rush!

Our class was learning about Westward Expansion and why people were moving west. To extend our studies, we took a trip to the Klondike Gold Rush Museum in Seattle to learn about the story of the Yukon gold fields and Seattle's crucial role in this great event. 

Klondike Gold Rush Museum

Walking from the Museum to Underground Seattle

Right before the gold rush, Seattle had a fire that destroyed the city. The people decided they wanted a city that was a story above the muck, so they kept the original sidewalks and built the buildings above, creating the underground tunnels. 

Our tour guide, Tom, telling us about the history of Seattle.

Underground Seattle

The glass skylights from underground.

The underground sidewalk with ladders to the street.

Checking our the toilet!

Learning about the way the streets were made.

Hanging out underground!

Reading in the New Year

The Electricianeers started off the new year by reading to their Pre-K buddies. Students read books about winter and snow. They also enjoyed telling each other what they did over winter break. The smiles are endless when we go to peer mentoring!

"Let's build a friend!"

This book has no words, so these students were taking turns telling their own story that went along with the pictures.